Daily F1 News and Comment: Friday 17th May 2013

This mysterious character has spoken out. From deep inside the bowels of Maranello Ferrari’s Grillo Ramapante is not happy. This is the stated raison d’être of the Horse Whisperer, “Travel the world, look, listen, learn…every now and then jump up and have your say, without pulling any punches”.

What is surprising is that following the banishment to India of Ferrari’s long-standing head of communications, Luca Colajanni, the was a suspicion that the whisperer had too departed Formula One’s fields. If anything this potential re-incarnation of the Ferrari nom de plume has excellent English unlike some previous dictats.

The last time the Horse Whisperer (THW) spoke was on the 15th October and it was to rubbish the rumours about Vettel being recruited to Ferrari for 2014. The rambling lecture from our equine friend concluded rather patronisingly, “You see how you don’t need anything to go from one extreme to the other? Reflect, people, reflect…”

So it lives and it speaks to us here today, May 2013… what was said?… I hear you cry as one.

The Horse Whisperer begins, “These are difficult times for people with poor memories. Maybe it’s because of the huge amount of information available today that people are too quick to talk, forgetting things that happened pretty much in the recent past. Or maybe the brain cells that control memory only operate selectively, depending on the results achieved on track by their owners.

“It normally doesn’t start until the summer break but F1 is already in the grip of silly season! The questions over where the drivers will be next year truly began after the Malaysian Grand Prix and that infamous team order incident at Red Bull. Now it is the turn of Mercedes to have their driver line up questioned” reports Mercedes AMG F1 fansite.

A classic example of this is the current saga regarding the number of pit stops. Voices have been raised to underline the fact that various teams, some of whom got to the podium and others who were quite a way off, made four pit stops in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, making the race hard to follow. It’s a shame that these worthy souls kept quiet two years ago”.

Dobbin is in fact a little behind TJ13 readers who have already debated and moved on from the following facts. Yet there are those less fortunate than oursleves, who are not part of such an F1 community on the ball so THW cites the 2011 GP’s in Turkey and Spain where 5 of the six podium drivers made 4 stops.

Schumacher’s achievement 2004 Magny Cours is also recalled and the Horse Whisperer concludes defiantly, “Today however, it seems one must almost feel ashamed for choosing a strategy that, as always for that matter, is aimed at getting the most out of the package one has available.

On top of that, if this choice emerges right from the Friday, because all the simulations are unanimous in selecting it, then why on earth should one feel embarrassed when compared to those who have gone for a different choice, only to regret it during the race itself”.

It appears neither Ferrari or Lotus are particularly pleased with Pirelli. Yet Lotus who are usually the F1 Kings of the cool image have been outdone by their seniors. When Lotus spoke… it was Eric. Ferrari however have the Horse Whisperer.

Vettel to replace Hamilton

It was not long ago Vettel was linked with Ferrari, as our article above recounts and recently it has been Vettel to Mercedes. Lewis appears to have felt it necessary to field questions on this matter after a disappointing race in Spain Hamilton.

How the mighty fall with swift vengeance in F1. Round 2 saw Hamilton take a podium finish which in truth was way ahead of expectations following early winter testing. It is thought Niki brimming with new found confidence having recruited Hamilton has now set his sights on Vettel, but intends to retain Rosberg over Hamilton.

Lewis responds, “It’s not something I need to think about because it’s not going to happen. Nico qualified on pole in the last race, so he clearly has the speed and deserves to be here. I have just come to the team and I’m not doing too badly, so I doubt they will be replacing me. It doesn’t affect me in the slightest. Why should it? I’m comfortable where I am. I have a solid contract and a great lawyer, as have Mercedes.”

Ecclestone left hanging until June

A spokesperson for the Munich district court has told DPA that a decision will be made not before the beginning of June on whether to proceed to trial with the charges brought against Ecclestone.

In the mean time whispers are growing about how long Ecclestone can stay in office. Even if the Munich judges were to decide against Ecclestone facing trial, he has 2 other civil law suits pending for the Autumn. One in New York and the other in London.

These litigants are suing for nearly $1bn dollars in damages and they are aggrieved that they were disadvantaged by Ecclestone’s ‘closed shop’ dealings over the sale of F1 to CVC.

Ecclestone is still defiant telling Bilde, “When my contract expires with the company, they can replace me if they want it.” Though the details of the contract are not known, some believe when Ecclestone negotiated the rights to all F1 income for 99 years, he had a similar clause inserted into his contract of employment.

The silent one who resides in Paris has spoken and adds pointedly, “Responsibility for the future of Formula 1 sits more of CVC than with Bernie”, this counters Ecclestones suggestions to the Independent that “One day when I will not be there, one of the biggest problems will be that I have really good relationships with the race promoters. Some of them have told me: ‘If you’re not there, we are not either.’ That is the danger. “

Anyway while we’re discussing hanging – is there a TJ13 reader who knows how this conundrum ends?

The Judge informs a convicted criminal that they will be hanged at noon on a weekday during the following week. He adds though that the execution will be a surprise to the prisoner. Until the executioner knocks on the door at midday, he will not know the day of the hanging.

Having reflected on his sentence, the prisoner draws the conclusion that he will escape from the hanging. His reasoning is in several parts. He begins by concluding that the “surprise hanging” can’t be on Friday, as if he hasn’t been hanged by Thursday, there is only one day left – and so it won’t be a surprise if he’s hanged on Friday. Since the judge’s sentence stipulated that the hanging would be a surprise to him, he concludes it cannot occur on Friday.

He then reasons that the surprise hanging cannot be on Thursday either, because Friday has already been eliminated and if he hasn’t been hanged by Wednesday night, the hanging must occur on Thursday, making a Thursday hanging not a surprise either. By similar reasoning he concludes that the hanging can also not occur on Wednesday, Tuesday or Monday. Joyfully he retires to his cell confident that the hanging will not occur at all.

So what happened?

Lauda Watch

Nikki has been attempting reasoned argument. Speaking to Austrian publication Osterreich here are his views on the dreaded ‘T’ issue. Lauda believes Pirelli’s change of heart is good, “This is very positive – and I speak as a neutral observer and not as Mercedes chairman

It can not even be in the spirit of racing that everyone just hopes they fall into the window in which the tyres work. Often it is pure coincidence, who drives faster on a given day due to temperature. The drivers complain rightly about the fact that they can no longer go racing. But it must again be allowed full speed on the gas to rise, to show who’s the fastest – the last no one has dared”.

A co-incidence Nikki??? Rubbish 5 races in, Alonso, Vettel and Raikonen have won. Three world champions winning the 5 races on offer is predictable. Further, Vettel 3 times world champion in the past 3 years is top of the drivers standings. That is also predictable.

What is also predictable is that in each team there is a world champion, they are ahead of their team-mate in the current driver standings. It may be fair to suggest that the tyres are not allowing the drivers to push hard the entire race, but there are no co-incidences in the F1 results and standings so far this year.

Tweet of the day

from @Lotus_F1Team: “Special delivery in Milton Keynes; it seems Pirelli have been ‘hard’ at work…”

Honer says Webber can stay – or does he?

Monaco is a circuit where Mark Webber has performed particularly well. He joined RBR in 2007 but that year he retired from the race with gearbox prblems. Since then he has finished 4,5,1,4,1 and is the reigning champion of premier racing in the principality.

Webber’s season so far has hardly been stellar. Since being robbed of his race win in Malaysia, Mark retired in China and came 7th in Bahrain and 5th in Barcelona. This is clearly not what he hoped for, particularly as he looks to settle a score with his German nemesis team mate.

Sky Sports News asked Christian Horner about Webber’s prospects and he replied, “We’re only five races in; we’re only a quarter of the season through the championship. Our decisions regarding drivers will be made in the summer and Mark – if he’s delivering and motivated and has the desire to continue – of course will be a driver that we know and has achieved so much with us that we’ll consider very closely. But no decisions will be made about drivers until later in the summer.”

73 words and nothing said. Still, since Vettel wrested control of the Red Bull team from Christian he has been visibly less prone to extreme verbosity. He has adopted a new style of communication best described as “short, sharp and still not to the point”. Either that description or try, “meaningless riddles”.

Lewis Catches Alonso

According to Business Book GP 2013 Lewis Hamilton has caught up with Fernando Alonso as F1’s highest earner. It claims they earn for driving alone EUR 20 million per season.

Stepping up to the plate and becoming McLaren’s number 1 driver has done well by Jenson Button as he is placed 3rd highest paid F1 driver earning EUR 16 million a year. Vettel in 4th place earns appears to be doing pretty badly for a triple world champion with income of a mere Euro 12m.

Then we have Nico Rosberg (11m) and Mark Webber (10m), while Brazilian Felipe Massa (6m) appears to have had to forfeit some of his wages to pay for all the damage he did went crashing into Lewis. Kimi is on a retainer at Lotus of Euro 3m however he is believed to receive substantial bonuses on a per-point bonuses.

Sergio Perez is paid just EUR 1.5 million by McLaren, and the only other FD1 drivers earning 7 figures are Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado and Nico Hulkenberg, all receiving Euro 1m.

Michael Schumacher, though retired, is believed to be still earning a whopping Euro 17m a year.

F1 losing its UK audience

The Spanish Grand Prix dropped to its lowest rating since 2009, overnight figures show. BBC One’s programme from 12:10 to 15:15 recorded an average of 3.285 million viewers. Sky Sports F1′s exact programme figure is unknown, however, it failed to make ITV Media’s top 10, meaning it had under 483,000 viewers from 11:30 to 16:20.

I for one turned over to the BBC because I’m sick and tired of listening to David Croft ranting about the tyres. At times his tone was a pleading whine as he bemoaned the spectacle he was describing.

I believe NBCSC had an excellent commentary where the excitement of Alonso’s charge was conveyed throughout by those with the microphone. And on that note, it’s shocking that commentator’s display the fact they are bemused by the number of pit stops and don’t understand how the race is progressing.

Martin Brundle may have gone to Sky because he wanted to commentate on every live race, yet when the BBC is in F1 town, he may be speaking but hardly anyone’s listening.

(source: The F1 Broadcasting blog)

Caterham GP review

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Caterham F1 Team, candidly reviews the Spanish Grand Prix weekend and looks ahead to the next race in Monaco

Lewis Heroes

Lewis Hamilton was recently on the Graham Norton show in the UK and he was discussing people who have impressed him (other than Senna). When asked who stood out above all others he’s met, he replied “Mohamed Ali of course… to just be in his presence was fantastic”.

Lewis reflects on a missed opportunity to meet the ‘King of Pop’. He was “a person I wanted to meet from time to time, Michael Jackson, I love his music and what he has done.” Lewis says that he loves wathcing movies, they are a big part of life for him, and Robert Downy Junior is an actor he admires greatly.

The one superpower Lewis would like to have, would be the ability to fly. He said, “Superman was always cool. The way he could fly around was the coolest”.

Complete the phrase, “If Lewis could fly then….”

Caterham get title sponsor

EQ8, the natural energy drink, has increased its support for GP2 team Caterham Racing and is now the team’s title sponsor with the team being renamed EQ8 Caterham Racing with immediate effect.

Nigel Burton EQ8 Commercial Director said, “EQ8 is delighted to be able to increase its links with Caterham Racing, becoming title sponsor of EQ8 Caterham Racing. This is a real step forward and an opportunity to showcase EQ8 Natural Energy Drink around the world with GP2. Motorsport is an important pillar in our marketing and activation plans.”

Buemi to drive RB7

As if this headline is not bizarre enough, Red Bull says that Sebastian Buemi will drive RB7 at the Spa Renault 3.5 meeting on June 1/2. In the opposite direction to normal!

I suggest you re-read what THW has to say, there is no hint of criticism on what Pirelli is currently doing. For sure Ferrari do not like what is happening as it will take away some of their competitive edge, but they have the dignity not to revile Pirelli or anyone else. Up to the point where their dignity becomes somewhat suspicious and you start to wonder if Pirelli and Ferrari are somehow in this ‘together’…

“you start to wonder if Pirelli and Ferrari are somehow in this ‘together’…”

Precisely! I know that I keep referring to the fact that Ferrari couldn’t heat the tyres as quickly last year and complaining about it, and suddenly Pirelli go one degree softer this year which of course helps Ferrari.
If Ferrari really had a big problem with Pirelli changing the tyres, do you really think this would still happen? Think not!
And Gary Andrerson brings up a good point. Pirelli might change only the rear tyres, which will help Merc a bit, but not the front tyres. And the problem RBR have are the front tyres. Ferrari know that the real competition is RBR and Vettel and not Merc and Lotus. Over the course of the year they will finish higher than the latter two. Pirelli had to do something for PR reasons and damage limitation to their brand but also not hurt Ferrari and bring RBR back to competition.

I remember it being just a few days since people unloaded on RB and Mateschitz for bitching about the tires. And here come Lotus and Ferrari doing the same. I seem to remember faintly that I claimed that exactly that would happen if things wouldn’t go Ferrari’s way.

Let’s look at what Boullier said:
He’s miffed, because he felt his team had done the best job with the data for 2013 given to all teams last year. Well, what data will the teams have been given? Most likely a truckload of numbers and schematics how the tire deforms under which loads and how much load (especially lateral) the tire can withstand and how it performs at certain temperatures – this sort of thing. And since Pirelli has only one test car, everyone knows that the data come from the tires being strapped to a 2010 Renault. Now comes the interesting bit. The only team that has a bootload of data about a 2010 Renault to compare and match to Pirelli’s pre-season tire data is – Lotus. So while not getting a 101-HOWTO from Pirelli, they definitely had a much more substantial base set of parameters to extrapolate the design parameters for their 2013 challenger than any of their competitors. And suddenly you have a car that is the only one in the field that can consistently do one stop less per race than all the others. Coincidence? Why, I think not.

The less said about the load of rubbish Ferrari’s been spreading, the better. Seriously, do they think we’re all window-licking idiots? The whole ‘people in the past did 4-stoppers, too’ myth has long been debunked. Vettel two years ago and Schumacher two centuries ago did four stoppers as a tactical option and pushed the raw stuffing out of their cars in between stops. Teams in the last race did 4 stop races out of neccessity, because the tires didn’t last for toffee and even with four stops they had to drive to delta times in between and told their drivers to go slow. That’s not the same, dear Scuderria.

What really sticks out about both statements of Boullier and whoever did the Iraqi Information Minister impression for Ferrari, is, that both of them don’t bother to hide their belief that the tire-change comes solely due to Red Bull’s complaints, completely ignoring that with Mercedes and McLaren two other heavy-weights have been complaining and applying pressure as well and that fans have been irritated with eco-run races, drivers desperately diving into the pits after 7 laps and drivers constantly being told not to defend their position and to go not faster than a lap time told to them from the pit wall.

Both Ferarri and Lotus might lose a competitive advantage, one that in the case of Lotus is not an entirely fair one in my opinion. But we might get races again in which drivers actually try to race each other again. I think that is worth a little mid-season tire change. And heck, maybe the tires even stop shedding their tread for no reason.

Sorry to raise the ‘T’ word again. But I’m not convinced from what I’ve heard today that Pirelli’s decision will go unchallenged by Ferrari or Lotus.

Article 12.6.3 of the technical regulations which state: “Tyre specifications will be determined by the FIA no later than 1 September of the previous season. Once determined in this way, the specification of the tyres will not be changed during the championship season without the agreement of all competing teams.”

Then we have Article 12.5.2, “If in the opinion of the appointed tyre supplier and FIA technical delegate, the nominated tyre specification proves to be technically unsuitable, the stewards may authorise the use of additional tyres to a different specification.”

But this is not the reason Pirelli have given. This is why there has been the historic focus on previous races where 4 stops occurred. So the unsuitable argument fails based on historic precedent.

In my view Pirelli will have to admit the punctures we have seen are ‘unsuitable’ and not the number of stops or they will face a challenge. Concorde or no Concorde the sporting regulations apply.

Otherwise a certain Mr. Vettel might find the sister RB9 intimately attempting union with his own – with impunity.

Your honour raises a valid point here. The arguments by Ecclestone and Pirelli are partially smokescreen. Pirelli doesn’t want to admit that its tires were simply not fit for the purpose lately. Especially seeing that tires divorce their tread in spectacular fashion after a single digit number of laps.
Mr. E. doesn’t want further decline in TV ratings, because poeple get bored by endless ‘don’t fight, save the tires, watch the left rear, you need to do 1:46 laps’ team radios.
Mr. E. and Pirelli leave unsaid the teams were FORCED to adopt four stoppers as opposed to CHOSING to do so in the past.
Pirelli needs to ‘fess up or we’re going to see endless appeals and counter appeals.

I read that quote from Hamilton before and would have readily dismissed the insane talk of Vettel to Merc but why did Lewis feel the need to say about his lawyers being good?
I don’t think Vettel is anywhere near stupid or gullible enough to consider going to Mercedes but just maybe the Hamilton/Mercedes relationship is already unraveling.
Hamilton expected a rubbish car this year then got his hopes up maybe it could be a winner then realizes it is in fact rubbish.
Mercedes(or some within it) believed the hype and expected Hamilton to bring extra speed to the team and maybe some within Merc now even more foolishly think maybe Vettel can do that.
I will be amazed if Webber is in the Red Bull next year though don’t count him out at Monaco next weekend.

Imagine a decent amount is from Mercedes but remember a sponsorship deal last year for something that didn’t depend on him continuing to race and imagine he has a lot more deals like that.
How much do Germany companies pay to be associated with the Schumacher brand.

I do agree that it is very easy to get Hamilton to respond foolishly to baited questions. Hamilton may be a fast driver, but he is not fast with his vocabulary in thinking up politically correct answers – beyond “thank s to the guys at the factory for a fantastic job”.

With Red Bull whining about Pirelli they’ve managed to sweep the whole Webber/Vettel feud under the rug. I imagine Lauda wants keeps tugging at the loose strings though as Mercedes has the most to gain from the tire changes, Red Bull aside.

Ferrari looked like the fool for trying this late last year and everyone dismissed it as spin. Now Lauda comes in and plants the seeds early in the season, then gets a bit more credibility because now its the second time a “Vettel searching for another team” story pops up in less than a year, causing Red Bull to take this rumor a bit more seriously than last time and cast suspicious gazes at Vettel when he’s not looking.

Interestingly David Beckham retires from football today, and they took his image to the world and way beyond football. The problem is, little is expected from a footballer but F1 drivers on the whole are a tad more intelligent human beings.

Plus, Beckhan said little and was prepared well and there was no twitter back then. Lewis is revelling in every opportunity to talk to anyone who gives him exposure – thus ending up on shows like Graham Norton in the UK.

I think I’ve quoted Grandpappy TheJudge11 before on this issue. He did not suffer fools gladly and used to say, “Better to keep silent and let people think you’re a fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt”.

I could say a lot more on this but time restricts me – just some thoughts.

I think they brought Hamilton in to the team as much for his image and marketability as well as his skills behind the wheel.

Whether or not he sells cars for Merc is another matter. We know how strong the car market is growing over in the far reaches of Asia with the Chinese market booming. Lewis is admired in those parts of the world so it could very well be part of Mercedes’ marketing strategy in pushing more motors out the door in that regard.

But I do feel tensions are running very high currently in the team, the Anglo German connection has already had problems in Malaysia, but who knows why Lewis felt the need to defend his position in the team when questioned about Vettel to Mercedes.

OK… I’ll give it a try…
If there is a knock at the door Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday it will come as a surprise… If it doesn’t then, by midday on Thursday, the prisoner knows it has to be either Thursday or Friday – but he doesn’t know which one so either will be a surprise…
Thus… at midday on Thursday… if there is a knock at the door it will be a surprise – if there is no knock that will be a surprise also… If the execution is to be on Friday the prisoner will be surprised to discover this – at midday on Thursday…
On the other hand I could be barking up the wrong scaffold… 🙂

I’ll give you all a clue. The story is an example how how logic can be used to warp – even predetermine – the intended outcome. Something Mr. E has done over the years – I suggest.

If the story only goes this far…

“The Judge informs a convicted criminal that they will be hanged at noon on a weekday during the following week. He adds though that the execution will be a surprise to the prisoner. Until the executioner knocks on the door at midday, he will not know the day of the hanging.

Having reflected on his sentence, the prisoner draws the conclusion that he will escape/not escape from the hanging”.

You can argue either result from logic using just the information we have here.

Truth of the matter is that it’s just a paradox. Whichever you look at it, it will be a surprise in the end.

Unless, you go to the extreme interpretation. To be a total surprise, the hangman will have to tell the prisoner on the day of his execution. But the execution takes place at noon and the prisoner needs to be notified at midday. The hangman cannot be at two different places at the same time. So the prisoner is freeeee! Free I tell ya! FREE!

I actually spent a good 5 minutes thinking about this (lazy and slightly hungover Saturday) because how could his honour be wrong?!

The prisoner’s reasoning is logical, and he thus determines that he will not be hung on any day. Having made this determination, the judge is now free to hang him on any day, as it will then surprise the prisoner.

Oh, and regarding RB driver pay – I was always of the belief that finger boy and Webber (yes, I’m an Aussie) had performance bonuses in their contracts.